School Year Literacy Residencies

First Stage’s Literacy Residencies develop critical literacy skills among students to increaseachievement on standardized tests and enhancing their overall comprehension and retention of grade appropriate English Language Arts Model Academic Standards.

Literacy Residency builds students' skills and knowledge in the following key learning areas:

In teams, students explore the basics of playwriting, including dramatic structure; writing dialogue; organizing an event sequence; use of descriptive details and sensory language to develop characters and events. Over fourteen consecutive 45-minute weekly sessions, students go through a writing process that includes planning, revising, editing, and rewriting. Students will conclude by performing a staged reading of their scripts.

Grades: 6-8

Length: 14 weeks

EARLY LITERACY RESIDENCY

Targeted to pre-school and kindergarten-age children, this 14-week program developed by First Stage’s Education director uses story drama, theater exercises, and active learning to help young participants build literacy skills. Specially trained First Stage Teaching Artists come into the classroom once a week for an hour throughout the Residency. Beloved story books are the basis for the active games and activities that will engage all students in the classroom.

Classroom teachers will receive a copy of each book read during the Early Literacy Residency lesson to add to the grade’s library. The students will also receive a copy of one book at the end of the school year to add to their personal library at home.

Grades: K4-2

Length: 14 weeks

LITERACY RESIDENCY

Designed for the 4th-6th grade ranges, this 25-week program is based directly off of the comprehension and writing portions of the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination, along with reading, writing, and language arts curricula. The major goals of this program are to develop critical literacy skills among students and boost state standardized test scores at schools in the Milwaukee area. First Stage Teaching Artists will visit the classroom once a week to facilitate an hour session of arts-integrated literacy based activities and lessons, bringing with them materials to share with the classroom teacher. This highly specialized program will help determine the specific needs of students in order to support individual strengths and opportunities.

Grades: 4-6

Length: 14 weeks

FAMILY LITERACY NIGHTS: Invite First Stage to actively engage parents and students in a participatory story drama experience.

Price: $350

Grade levels: K4 – 3

Location: First Stage comes to the school or community center

Times: Workshops are 45 minutes long, and dates and times are flexible.

First Stage will engage a family group of up to 100 people during this exciting storytelling experience that provides adults and children the opportunity to actively participate in the dramatic activities together. Choose from a selection of Family Literacy Night workshops, or ask First Stage to create a workshop geared to a specific theme or story.

Contact the Education Department to set up residency session dates and times. Residency sessions will be arranged based on Teaching Artist availability and your classroom schedule. Contact us at (414) 267-2978 or email education@firststage.org.